Wesleyan Retains #12 Spot Tie in USNWR Rankings

[smartalic34]

<p>

I was under the impression that Wesleyan’s acceptance rate had risen to 24% for the class matriculating in 2011, a rather large slide from 21% for the 2010 stats. You mentioned that Wes’s rate had “edged up a point,” but I count it at three points. Can you clarify for me?</p>

<p>With a slide to 24%, given the fact that nearly all other top schools saw acceptance rates drop (sometimes dramatically) during the same year, I’m pretty sure Wes will get hit pretty hard in the 2012 USNWR rankings.

</p>

<p>Class of 2015: 2,339/10,033 (23.3%)
Class of 2014: 2,190/10,657 (20.5%)</p>

<p>First of all, Wesleyan over-enrolled by 70 students, so admissions obviously underestimated yield. So they easily could have admitted 2,190 again and still hit their target. Is three whole points (2.8 exactly) REALLY a big leap? Not exactly. Secondly, selectivity counts as 15% of a college’s US News score. Acceptance rate comprises 10% of that score, so that means acceptance rate counts for just 1.5% (check my math?) of a school’s overall score. Wesleyan’s newest class is just as strong in terms of SAT scores, etc. so I doubt that will have much of an impact. What really hurts Wesleyan is its larger size and smaller endowment because of spending/student and other things that economies of scale will impact.</p>